Biggest Fantasy Baseball Busts Of The First Half (2025)

Joey Pollizze discusses the biggest busts of the 2025 fantasy baseball season so far. These players have not lived up to expectations in the first half of the fantasy season.

Every year, some players don't quite meet expectations in fantasy. These are often referred to as busts in the fantasy landscape. As we approach the All-Star break, now is a good time to look at which players are busts from the first half. These players have been hard to roster through the first couple of months. 

In this article, we will look at 12 of the biggest busts from the first half of the fantasy baseball season. All 12 players featured below were taken inside the top 80 in most fantasy drafts this past spring, but these stars weren't worth grabbing at their generous average draft position (ADP).

So, which players have been the biggest busts so far? Let's dive in and find out. Willy Adames, Bailey Ober, and Zac Gallen just missed the cut on this list.

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Yordan Alvarez, DH, Houston Astros

Given where Houston Astros designated hitter Alvarez was going in drafts, he is absolutely a bust in the first half. Alvarez had a consensus 16.4 ADP, yet he hasn't contributed much in fantasy this season. Part of the reason is that the slugger has been out since May 5 due to a fractured right hand. Even when he was healthy, though, he wasn't doing much offensively.

Update on Yordan Alvarez from the Astros pic.twitter.com/dKTK6cALSB

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 3, 2025

Alvarez had a .210 batting average with three home runs and 18 RBI in his first 29 games. It has definitely been a frustrating season for the three-time All-Star, but he should be a better fantasy option once he finally returns from that hand injury. His power numbers should tick up, and he should be a reliable bat in your fantasy lineup in the second half.

William Contreras, C, Milwaukee Brewers

It wasn't surprising that Contreras was the first catcher taken in 2025 fantasy baseball drafts. He hit .281 with 23 home runs, 92 RBI, and nine stolen bases across 155 games last year. Those solid all-around numbers made Contreras an easy selection at his 33.4 ADP, especially since the catcher position thinned out quickly in drafts.

Nevertheless, Contreras has been one of the biggest busts through the first half. He is batting just .242 with six home runs and 37 RBI across 88 contests. Those who spent a third-round pick on the Brewers catcher are likely frustrated with his production in 2025. Things might not get better either, as his expected batting average (.243), hard-hit rate (42.2%), and expected slugging (.368) are all down from last year.

Dylan Cease, SP, San Diego Padres

What a disastrous season it has been for San Diego Padres starting pitcher Cease. As a matter of fact, he might be the biggest fantasy bust among all healthy players this year. Cease has a whopping 4.88 ERA across his 19 starts and has allowed at least three runs in 10 of those 19 outings.

After going around pick No. 42 in drafts, the right-hander has not lived up to those fantasy expectations. While things should get better for Cease in the second half, it has been hard to roll him out every fifth day in fantasy lineups. But his impressive strikeout numbers (29% strikeout rate) should lead to more success on the mound in the final two and a half months.

Michael Harris II, OF, Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves outfielder Harris has not had a great start to the season. He is batting just .206 with six home runs, 43 RBI, and 12 stolen bases across 91 games. Fantasy managers liked Harris' potential to hit 20 home runs, steal upward of 20 bases, and bat around .265 in 2025, which is why his ADP sat around 47.1 in most leagues.

However, Harris will be lucky to total double-digit home runs and finish with a batting average higher than .230 this year. His 6.3% barrel rate ranks in the 30th percentile, and he is chasing outside the zone at an extremely high clip (41.2%). Although the Braves outfielder has been a second-half player in his career, there aren't many encouraging signs for him entering the All-Star break.

Ozzie Albies, 2B, Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves second baseman Albies was a popular bounce-back candidate in 2025. He dealt with injuries throughout the 2024 season, and Albies always seem to put up strong numbers whenever he stays healthy. That was the case during 2023 when the switch-hitting second baseman hit .280 wth 33 home runs and 109 RBI.

Players with fewer stolen bases than Kyle Schwarber this year:

Jose Altuve
Mookie Betts
Ozzie Albies
Brandon Nimmo
Harrison Bader pic.twitter.com/VNr8ouu3Df

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) June 29, 2025

Unfortunately, Albies has had a dreadful start to the season. He is hitting just .219 with seven home runs and 29 RBI across 93 games. With the 28-year-old ranking in the 18th percentile or worse in expected batting average (.234), barrel rate (3.7%), hard-hit rate (29.6%), and expected slugging (.345), there isn't a lot of optimism that he will be much better in the second half.

Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles

Since entering the league in 2022, Baltimore Orioles catcher Rutschman has been one of the most consistent fantasy options at the position. He hit at least 19 home runs and drove in over 75 runs in back-to-back seasons and was set to put up solid numbers again atop Baltimore's lineup. However, Rutschman has not lived up to his 61.2 preseason ADP in the first half.

The switch-hitting catcher has a .227 batting average, eight home runs, and 20 RBI in his first 68 games this season. Rutschman is also currently on the 10-day injured list due to a left oblique strain that has caused him to miss the past month. It has no doubt been a frustrating all-around campaign for the 27-year-old.

Marcell Ozuna, DH, Atlanta Braves

Designated hitter Ozuna is the third Braves player to be featured on this list. That's not a total surprise, considering Atlanta has been the most disappointing team this season. Ozuna has been a big reason for that, as his overall numbers are down from the past couple of seasons. The slugger is currently batting just .239 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI.

Those numbers are surely unlike Ozuna, considering he hit .302 with 39 home runs and 104 RBI in his All-Star campaign in 2024. After going around pick No. 51 in fantasy drafts, it's safe to say that most fantasy managers didn't expect the veteran to perform this poorly this year.

Anthony Santander, DH/OF, Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays made a splash this offseason by signing outfielder Santander to a massive five-year deal. After Santander hit a career-high 44 long balls with 102 RBI, he was set to be a strong fantasy option again. So, his 70.4 preseason ADP made a ton of sense entering the 2025 campaign.

However, Santander has been nothing like the hitter he was last year. He is batting just .179 with six home runs this season and has spent the past six weeks on the IL due to a shoulder injury. While the Blue Jays are optimistic that the slugger will return soon, it has been a campaign to forget for the 2024 All-Star.

Brenton Doyle, OF, Colorado Rockies

Colorado Rockies outfielder Doyle was a sneaky pick early in fantasy drafts because of his potential to log a 25-25 season. Doyle hit 23 home runs, drove in 72 runs, and stole 30 bases in his sophomore campaign in 2024. Sadly, the 27-year-old has been one of the bigger busts in fantasy to begin the year.

Brenton Doyle hits a LASER to give the @Rockies an early lead 💥 pic.twitter.com/tF5BoWEZVQ

— MLB (@MLB) June 26, 2025

He is hitting just .207 with seven home runs, 30 RBI, and nine stolen bases across 80 games. These numbers come after Doyle was a top-70 pick in most fantasy drafts in the spring. There's a strong chance the Rockies outfielder is just sitting on the waiver wire at his point in the season, especially since his roster percentage has dropped down to 51% in Yahoo! leagues.

Aaron Nola, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Nola has been one of the most durable starters in the league over the past few years. He logged at least 32 starts in four straight years from 2021 to 2024 and had a solid 3.95 ERA during that span. This season, though, has been a completely different story for the right-hander.

Nola allowed 34 earned runs across his first 49 2/3 innings (6.16 ERA) this year and landed on the IL on May 16 (ankle/rib) for the first time since 2017. Although the 32-year-old will pitch in the second half, he was certainly one of the biggest fantasy busts in the first half. He allowed at least four runs in five of his nine starts to begin 2025. 

Christian Walker, 1B, Houston Astros

Houston Astros first baseman Walker has been a better fantasy option in recent weeks, but he deserves to be on this list following an overall brutal first half. Walker is only hitting .234 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI in 88 games this season. If we take out his last seven games, the veteran only hit .213 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI in his first 81 contests.

Walker's recent stretch should give fantasy managers some confidence heading into the second half. The Astros slugger is batting .438 with two home runs and nine RBI over his last seven games. Still, he has been a letdown in fantasy in the first half, considering he was the seventh first baseman selected in most drafts.

Bryce Miller, SP, Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Miller is the final first-half bust on this list. Following a breakout campaign in 2024 in which he finished with a 2.94 ERA and 171 strikeouts, Miller has struggled mightily on the mound this season. He owns a 5.73 ERA across 10 starts and has been on the IL since June 7.

Although Miller is expected to return sometime after the All-Star break, it's hard to trust him moving forward. His strikeout rate (18.1%), walk rate (10.6%), and expected batting average against (.287) all ranked poorly in the early going. It's safe to say that most fantasy managers aren't happy they drafted him at his 80.2 ADP. 

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